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To Members of the NASULGC Family:
As you know, we have prepared a request to the members of the
House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committees as they
begin work on assembling their bills for CSREES and other USDA
agencies for FY 2004. You can find the one-pager describing our
request on the nasulgc-bac Web site.
This one-pager was prepared for the CARET representatives to take
to Capitol Hill two weeks ago. We also armed our citizen lobbyists
with a Appropriations Subcommittees expressing support for the
NASULGC position.
Now, as the deadline approaches for members of the House of
Representatives and Senate to submit their "member request"
letters to the subcommittee chairs, we have been asked to provide
some additional detail about the specific "dollar amounts" that
our request entails. This information is as follows:
NASULGC Request 1
Increase the formula funds for CSREES (including the base funding
line items for minority-serving institutions) by five percent over
the FY 2003 levels. Required increase over the FY 2004 president's
budget = $30 million.
Justification: "Formula funds for CSREES should be increased by
five percent over last year’s levels. Such a modest increase is
necessary just to absorb increased costs, such as lab security;
sustain the existing infrastructure; and maintain a constant level
of effort in this very critical area."
NASULGC Request 2
Increase the competitive grant line items in the CSREES budget
over a period of years so that the agency can fully fund at least
30 percent of its competitive grant proposals (thereby bringing
CSREES in line with NIH and NSF). Required increase over several
years = $163 million. Required increase over the president's FY
2004 budget = $7 million, since the budget already includes a $33
million increase (over the FY 2003 level) for the National
Research Initiative.
Justification: "Congress should appropriate sufficient funds to
fully support at least 30 percent of the competitive grant
proposals submitted to CSREES. Such an increase will help solve
the urgent problems that confront us: Food safety and security.
Health and nutrition. The Environment."
We hope that this information answers any questions that you may
have received. If not, please feel free to contact either one of
us.
Remember the Deadlines
House member letters are due to the
Ag Appropriations Subcommittee by Thursday, March 20. Senate
member letters are due by Friday, April 11.
Tom Payne and
Fred Cholick
Budget and Advocacy Committee
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